Job summary
- Main area
- A & C
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 5
- Contract
- 3 years (Fixed Term)
- Hours
- Part time - 30 hours per week
- Job ref
- 358-8262532-COR
- Employer
- University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- LRI
- Town
- Leicester
- Salary
- £32,073 - £39,043 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 04/10/2026 23:59
- Interview date
- 13/10/2026
Employer heading
Medical Examiner Officer
NHS AfC: Band 5
AI tools like chatbots and virtual assistants can support you as you complete your application. For example, they can check for spelling or grammar errors, or help you to decide what to include.
But they shouldn’t replace your own responses or be used to write the application for you.
Relying too much on AI can negatively impact your chances of success, because automatically generated answers:
- might not be specific or relevant enough to address the criteria in the recruitment profile
- often seem generic and not personalised enough – an AI response won’t show your unique voice and perspective
- could misrepresent information about you, such as your qualifications, skills and experience
We monitor applications for any behaviour that could create an unfair advantage, and we check all references carefully. You are likely to be tested on your experience at interview, so be honest and make sure all the information in your application is correct.
Job overview
UHL are looking to recruit a Medical Examiner Officer to join the team on a 3 year fixed term basis. Due to working from a monthly rolling rota, the ideal candidate will be open to flexible working within the core hours of the service, between 07:00-18:00, and be able to work from all three UHL sites. Occasional weekend work will also come into place in the future.
Medical Examiner Officers are at the heart of the success of the Medical Examiner Office. They support the Medical Examiners with the accuracy and consistency of MCCD content and ensure appropriate referrals to the coroner.
If shortlisted for an interview, a visit to the ME office will be an expectation. If offered the role, there will be online ME Officer training to complete prior to starting in post.
We also recommend that you look at the National ME website in order to gain a better understanding of the process as a whole.
Vacancy will close : 4 October 2026
Interviews will take place : 13 October 2026
Main duties of the job
Medical Examiner Officers are at the heart of the success of the Medical Examiner Office. They support the Medical Examiners with the accuracy and consistency of MCCD content and ensure appropriate referrals to the coroner.
Working for our organisation
Our new strategy, developed with the support and feedback of colleagues, patients, and partners, is our compass for the next seven years (2023-2030).
We have four primary goals:
- high-quality care for all,
- being a great place to work,
- partnerships for impact, and
- research and education excellence
And we will embed health equality in all we do - taking active steps to reduce the avoidable differences in healthcare that some people face, working in partnership with communities.
Our strategy is underpinned by new values and we will work to ensure they are an everyday reality for all:
- we are compassionate,
- we are proud,
- we are inclusive, and
- we are one team
This is an exciting moment as we look to the future with clarity on what we already do well and where we need to focus our energies to make an even bigger difference for the people we serve.
About the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust:
https://www.uhleicester.nhs.uk
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
You will work closely with other Medical Examiner Officers, the team of Medical Examiner clinicians and the Bereavement team to provide a robust servce in line with national requirements.
You will support the Trust's Medical Examiners in their role to scrutinise the circumstances and causes of death for all death across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
You will be a point of contact and source of advice for relatives of deceased patients, healthcare professionals, HM coroner and registration services, therefore, excellent communication skills are essential in order to communicate professionally and effectively in difficult and emotional situations.
The successful candidate will be educated to Bachelor's degree level, or have evidence of study/equivalent practical experience at an advanced level.
You will have a good understanding of medical terminology, be computer literate and have a good working knowledge of Microsoft excel.
You will be able to apply good problem solving skills and be able to balance multiple complex work streams, ensuring the general flow of the office is maintained effectively and efficiently.
Person specification
Training & Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Educated to Batchelor’s degree level or equivalent working knowledge in related field
- A commitment to life-long learning and undertaking personal development opportunities
- Completed e-learning MEO core training modules prior to starting in the post
Desirable criteria
- Degree (BA/BSc) in Business or Clinical related studies
- Professional Registration (Clinical)
Communication and relationship skills
Essential criteria
- Ability to communicate effectively and build good relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including the recently bereaved, face to face, by telephone and email
- Strong interpersonal skills demonstrating the ability to communicate in difficult and emotional situations with empathy and professionalism
- Excellent written & verbal communication skills to produce accurate correspondence
- Able to work as part of a team, co-operating to work together and in conjunction with others and willing to help and assist wherever possible and appropriate
Desirable criteria
- Experience of working effectively with key administrative and senior clinical staff
- Experience of working in a bereavement setting or equivalent environment (i.e. safeguarding, end of life care)
Analytical and Judgement skills
Essential criteria
- Ability to apply good problem-solving skills, e.g., in balancing multiple complex work streams Ability to apply good problem-solving skills, e.g., in balancing multiple complex work streams
- Ability to work without direct supervision, prioritising work and acting on own initiative where appropriate; pre- empting problems and working to solve them in an appropriate manner and escalating as applicable
- Experience of review, collation and synthesis of information
Desirable criteria
- Critical Analysis and Report Writing
Skills
Essential criteria
- Strong interpersonal skills demonstrating the ability to communicate in difficult and emotional situations with empathy and professionalism with all stakeholders
- Competent user of MS Office packages, specifically Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook
- High level of accuracy and attention to detail
- The ability to work in a highly pressurised, unpredictable environment where bereavement care is central to the service delivery
- Positive attitude to dealing with change; flexible and adaptable, willing to change and accept change and to explore new ways of doing things and approaches
- Ability to work as part of a team and organise fluctuating workload around competing priorities
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge of various faith groups’ funeral wishes/practices to enable respectful compliance with tight and specific timescales and procedures
- Advanced level in Word, Excel, PowerPoint
- Expertise in inputting and interrogating spreadsheets and databases to extract and analyse data
Planning and organisation skills
Essential criteria
- Ability to work in a demanding environment involving complex and multiple processes against time related targets
- Ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands and to adapt quickly to changing priorities Ability to be proactive and plan ahead, to allow for fluctuations in demand
- Ability to cope with interruptions from others or need to change tasks at short notice
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Essential criteria
- Able to demonstrate a commitment to and understanding of the importance of treating all individuals with dignity and respect appropriate to their individual needs
- All staff are expected to engage in compassionate and inclusive leadership in the provision of high-quality care and interactions with others
Other requirements specific to the role: Physical skills
Essential criteria
- Cross site working
- Walking between offices
- Able to undertake light physical duties i.e., retrieve and carry patient medical records
- Ability and willingness to adopt a flexible approach to work on the occasions it may be required
Commitment to Trust Values and Behaviours
Essential criteria
- Must be able to demonstrate behaviours consistent with the Trust’s Values and Behaviours
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of working independently within own area of specialism with minimal supervision
- Proven experience of working in a busy office/administration environment
- Experience of working with people in sensitive and emotional situations
- Experience of working in a service. where users may have unpredictable and emotionally charged need or day to day contact with people in sensitive and emotional situations
- Knowledge of the special requirements of various faith groups and respect for equality and diversity of issues around formalities following a death
- Good understanding of medical terminology that enables informed discussions about causes/circumstances of death with bereaved families, clinicians, coroner and registration service staff
- Experience of planning a broad programme of activities and prioritising work to meet deadlines
- Experience of maintaining confidentiality and secure handling of highly sensitive data and/or patient identifiable data.
- Using databases for inputting and extracting information
- Knowledge of the statutory process around death certification legal frameworks and how the medical examiner system aligns with other related organisations and NHS initiatives
Desirable criteria
- NHS experience within the administrative field at a Band 3
- Clinical Practice at Registration Level or above
- Worked in Coroner’s Office, Medical Examiner Office, Patient Safety Team, Inquest Team or M&M Process
- Knowledge of the Coroner & Justice Act 2009 reference to the medical examiner system. Full understanding of the medical examiner system operational remit when incorporated within Bereavement Services or as a stand-alone office.
- Experience of working in a healthcare setting with multi- disciplinary teams across organisational boundaries
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Anthony Mills
- Job title
- Lead Clinical Medical Examiner Officer
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07950 842256
- Additional information
Rebecca Broughton - Head of Learning from Deaths
07971 745 188
List jobs with University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust in Administrative Services or all sectors